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Social activist Dave Letele has accused one of our biggest banks of “poverty porn” by using his foodbank for positive publicity before ghosting him when he later asked for a donation.

Letele told Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW he’d requested a $10,000 donation when Westpac asked to return for a second year helping at the Letele-founded BBM Community Kitchen and FoodShare Service.

Around 20 bank staff had volunteered at the food bank for several hours in 2021, but Letele told Bridge he was surprised when the corporation itself didn’t make a cash donation.

“They packed some parcels, and I was expecting, oh jeez, they’re going to leave a donation. They didn’t. And then at the same time they put all the photos into their newsletter. It was great, feel-good socials, ‘look at what we’re doing’.”

When Westpac contacted BBM a year later asking to return they were told yes, but “that experience will cost you $10,000”, Letele said.

“[And we] never heard from them again. These guys make so much money and they’re going to come and take photos, feel good, put their names on sporting things, on buildings … come down on the ground and give back.”

Community leader Dave Letele at work at his food bank in Mangere where he is supporting people who were effected by the Auckland floods. Photo / Dean Purcell.

Former boxer Letele, aka the Brown Buttabean, described it as “poverty porn”.

“‘Look at these poor, brown people’ … shame on you.”

A spokesman for Westpac NZ said it had a “strong focus on supporting local communities” and all employees were given two volunteer days a year to support causes of their choice.

“In the past year, we have provided $11.6m in community investment, which includes 35,000 hours of volunteer leave logged by Westpac employees.”

They’d enjoyed working with Letele, both volunteering to support the BBM programme and working with him and his team to organise free financial education workshops in South Auckland, the spokesman said.

Westpac had posted photos of staff to social media where they’d been involved, he said.

“While we can’t recall the exact details of our conversation around financial support, we apologise if there were any misunderstandings or offence caused.

“We are keen to work with Mr Letele to support the great mahi he does in his community, whether through volunteering or delivering more financial education workshops.”

Westpac chief executive Catherine McGrath made just over $4.03 million this year, up from $2m the year before. Photo / Cameron Pitney

The 46-year-old’s comments were sparked by Bridge asking his news panel of Letele and The Front Page podcast host Chelsea Daniels what they thought of ANZ New Zealand growing its net profit after tax by 21% in the year to September to a record $2.53 billion.

Westpac New Zealand’s net profit after tax over the same period rose 13% to $1.2b, and its chief executive Catherine McGrath made just over $4.03 million this year.

McGrath’s remuneration was nearly double the $2m she made last year, and more than 55 times the average New Zealander’s wage.

He was “all for making money” and encouraging people to be successful, Letele told Bridge when asked about ANZ’s profit.

“But I’d like to know what they’ve actually given back. They should be made to set up a foundation and give back to charities… how can they make this kind of money, yet we’re in a massive cost-of-living crisis?

“Walk outside now, you’ll see homeless people everywhere.”

A person sleeping rough in central Auckland.

Speaking after appearing on Herald NOW, Letele told the Herald KiwiBank had both helped at the charity and donated cash.

Yet people seeing Westpac’s social media posts about staff volunteering at his charity would “assume they [also] donated, right?”

He could laugh about now, but at the time it grated than a bank making “millions and millions … and they couldn’t even spare $10,000.”

Letele sent the Herald a screengrab of what he said was a BBM staffer’s response to the Westpac request to return thanking them for the offer, but saying they’d put together a package including motivational talk from Letele, team building with Letele and his team, touring the BBM Community Kitchen and having lunch as well as volunteering in return for a $10,000 donation.

Dave Letele founded BBM Charity Kitchen and Foodshare.

Many corporates had programmes where they donated time, but cash was what was really needed, Letele said.

“Most of the time community groups, we don’t need volunteers. We’ve got plenty of volunteers.

“Donations is what we really need, especially at a food bank.”